Travel breakfast ideas - gluten and dairy free

For the past few months I've been on a gluten and dairy free diet which has definitely required a bit of adjustment. A few weeks ago I was traveling on a very quick trip (just over 24 hours) for an interview - and figured it'd probably be best/easiest to bring food for breakfast and not have to try and find something. I brought some gluten free crackers and tiny serving of peanut butter (didn't want to find out if that counted as a liquid or gel), and it was fine - but I wanted to hear some other ideas.

I'm just sort of coming around to the necessity of traveling and having food on me, but I want to know how others approach this particularly when traveling by plane. Thanks!

Do you need ideas that are shelf stable or will you be able to travel with a small cooler and/or have access to a fridge? I have no problem traveling with a cooler but not everyone is wiling/able to carry the extra bag.

A good friends daughter has both allergies and she's a skater which means early mornings in the car. I have been helping her come up with foods on the go. Most require a cooler but these two have been very popular.

Nut butter granola:Microwave 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup nut butter of your choice, just until the nut butter gets very soft/liquid. Add 2 cup GF oats, 2 tsp vanilla, 1tsp cinnamon and a pinch or two of salt, stir well to combine. Spread on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Let cool and then crumble. Store in a airtight container. Great with apple sauce or on its own.

Breakfast "cookies"This is basically a granola bar type cookie.Mash two ripe bananas in a bowl, add I cup apple sauce and stir to combine. Add 1.5 cups GF oats, 2tsp vanilla, 1tsp agave or any other sweetener like maple syrup, couple pinches of salt, 3 cups raisins, chopped apricots, dried cranberries or a combination of any dried fruit. Stir well to combine. Let it rest for about for about 20 minutes. Roll dough into balls and place on an oiled cookie sheet, flatten calls with a fork and bake about 30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

You can find hard boiled eggs and oatmeal packets at most motel complimentary breakfast bars. You would have to find a source of non dairy "milk" though for the oatmeal, if you like it fixed that way. Sometimes there is also bacon or sausage, though the sausage is never very good.

Of late, I've more often than not been in travel lodging situations without a complimentary breakfast.

Also for my specific dietary issues - it's not so much allergy/intolerance (yet), but my translation of my doctor is "we don't quite yet know what's wrong with you but let's try this as it makes things a little better while we run loads more tests, try supplements, etc". In general I like being able to bring foods at least for breakfast so I'm minimizing the food I eat that's made in restaurants/commercial kitchens.

You could easily bring packets of oatmeal with you. You can get heated water in the motel or hotel coffee maker. I often travel with a couple pieces of fruit. An apple or orange can be used as part of a breakfast. Buy or bring a box of gluten free crackers and bring a small container of all natural peanut or almond butter, and I think you would have an OK breakfast.

For a longer (2+ night travel) research what your purchasing options will be. Or ship a package of safe food to your hotel. My SIL (celiacs and reserves her dairy for real cheese) ships a package of cereal/bread, soy milk, other GF munchies/ staples to her hotel so it's there waiting for her. Since her diagnosis 2 years ago, she's definitely carrying a bigger purse to have room for emergency rations.

Kind bars are gluten-free, and the ones without chocolate or yogurt drizzle are also dairy-free.

Do you like savory breakfasts? Rice noodle bowls, like Annie Chung's might work (not sure if that brand is GF).

Single-serving packages of precooked rice - the kind you warm up in the microwave - should be OK to carry onto a plane. I used them in 2009 when I brought my son home from Korea, the flight attendants very nicely heated them up for us. Take along some little packs of roasted seaweed or a jar of furikake for a quick small meal or snack.

Kind bars and larabars are great in a pinch. Homemade larabars are really easy and there are a ton of recipes if you google it. I have smuggled my greek yogurt thru security 3xs in the past month, just stashed in the bottom of my carryon... I ate that with a baggie of barbara's puffins (gluten free, high fiber and delicious!) mixed with sunflower seeds and raisins.

A really satisfying combo is hard boiled eggs mashed with avocado, salt and lemon juice. Great in a lettuce wrap or with gf crackers. Packets of instant grits are easy, bring a baggie with a mix of cinnamon/dried fruit/etc for topping.

I've made frittata "muffins" with lots of veggies in a muffin pan-they freeze great and are good room temp too.